1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor device packaging, and more specifically, to providing a multiple microelectromechanical systems sensor package having an incorporated application specific integrated circuit in a minimum area.
2. Related Art
Consumer products incorporating semiconductor devices continue to include greater amounts of functionality in smaller and smaller packages. Many consumer products, such as smart phones, digital cameras, game console controllers, and the like, incorporate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, such as gyroscopes for detecting angular orientation, accelerometers, and magnetometers. The size constraints in consumer products, and the like, dictate that sensor devices and their controller chips take up less and less area.
One historical solution provides for multiple sensors in a single package. For example, a package can include a gyroscope and an accelerometer, or also include a magnetometer, along with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to process signals from the sensors. In order to accommodate the multiple sensors in a package of a size appropriate to an application, the sensors can be arranged next to one another in the package. But current area constraints are such that the sensors themselves are reduced in size. Including an ASIC to monitor the sensors in the package has involved mounting the ASIC on one of the sensor die. But reduced sizes of the sensor die result in an ASIC with a larger area than any single sensor in the package.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates identical items unless otherwise noted. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.